Sunday, March 30, 2008

Prior! Where the hell is Prior?

With the exception of those who are actively paid by Major League Baseball, you'd be hard pressed to find people who can rattle off the off-season movement short of the top-tier free agents and players who have hung up the spikes.

Feel free to wander around over at the MLB site to see for yourself just how many veteran players are scrambling to call the cable company tomorrow to get their MLB Extra Innings package hooked up so they can catch some games.

In the interest of saving time, here are what Chicago fans of both teams need to know with Opening Day less than 24 hours away.

Cubs fans should know that:

* Wade Miller signed a minor league contract* Daryle Ward and the team reached a mutual option* Scott Eyre exercised his option* Jacque Jones and Omar Infante switched lockers when Jones headed to Detroit* Craig Monroe is in Minnesota now for a player to be named later* Kerry Wood signed a one-year deal and is the new closer... for now at least* Jason Kendall jumped the border and will backstop the Brewers this year* Will Ohman and Infante were shipped to Atlanta for Jose Ascanio. I need to return my new Infante jersey* Cliff Floyd is now in Tampa playing with the new-look Rays* Kosuke Fukudome - once again, Foo-koo-doh-may - signed his four-year deal on Dec. 19.* Mark Prior is now a San Diego Padere* Angel Pagan headed to the Mets for two minor leaguers* Jon Lieber came back to the Cubs from the Phillies* Steve Trachsel was invited to Spring Training by the Orioles. I was, too. So was Babe Ruth's corpse.* Alex Cintron was asked to join the North Side/South Side club by coming over from the White Sox - and was then released* Reed Johnson signed a one-year deal

* Juan Uribe signed a one-year deal (and was waived this week)* Jon Garland was traded to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera* Scott Linebrink moves from the Brewers to the South Side* Erstad headed to Houston* Nick Swisher joins the team from Oakland... not that he was even on the trading block, but what Kenny wants, Kenny gets. He's a rebel, a gunslinger, just like Brett Favre* Ryan Sweeny heads to Oakland with two other players in the Swisher trade* Alexei Ramirez joins the ballclub after playing in Cuba* Octavio Dotel is signed after pitching in Atlanta* Mike Myers is invited to Dodgers camp, Scott Podsednik is invited by the Rockies and Craig Wilson heads off with the Reds* David Aardsma is sent to Boston for two young arms* Tomo Ohka heads over from Seattle* Josh Fields will start the season in AAA as Kenny Williams works his magic* Third base coach Razor Shines is fired for a performance not as awesome as his name